Business

The Death the Mutual Fund: Matthew Murawski Explains Why ETFs May Be a Fit as Part of Your Investment Strategy

Published

2 years ago

November 9, 2022

Since the Great Depression, mutual funds have presented a great opportunity for everyday people to invest in the stock market. Rather than risking their fortune on individual winners and losers, investors selected groups of stocks, making them not only a more diversified investment but also more attainable to people who could not afford the high commission fees, in Murawski’s opinion.

And for decades, mutual fund investing has been touted as a smart, principled financial planning strategy. However, those days may soon be coming to an end. As Goodstein Wealth Management financial planner Matthew Murawski explains, a new generation of investors may usher in a new investment strategy.

“We have a big shift in demographics,” Murawski says. “The Baby Boomer advisor has almost all classic mutual funds. But now, an exchange-traded fund does the same basic principle, but they are typically a lot less expensive and are more transparent and tax efficient.”

One of the most important distinctions between mutual funds and ETFs are the costs associated with each. Although Murawski still uses a few mutual funds, most of his portfolio contains ETFs – for the simple reason that they are generally less expensive and more efficient in his opinion.

“There are zero trading costs for an ETF,” Murawski says. “I can buy the S&P 500 index ETF for about a .03 expense ratio and not pay a commission. I can buy it or sell it whenever I want. But if I buy the same thing in a mutual fund, I’m going to pay a $12, $14, $16 commission every time through our custodian, TD Ameritrade.”

With many Baby Boomer investors and advisors retiring, the guidance is beginning to shift toward a younger generation. And according to Murawski, new advisors and this new investing class are overwhelmingly choosing ETFs.

“I don’t know anybody under 40 buying mutual funds,” Murawski says. “If I said to a client under 40, we’re buying mutual funds in an account, a majority of them will ask, why aren’t we buying ETFs?”

This gradual transition from mutual funds to ETFs is being seen throughout the investment world. ETF.com has projected that in the near future, ETF assets will exceed mutual fund assets. And traditional mutual fund advisors are beginning to take notice. They are trying to adapt to the changes in the market, as well as changes in investment strategy, to maintain relevance with a new generation of investors.

“In my opinion, investors under 30 will never own mutual funds,” Murawski says. “It would be like selling them a Discman. It is almost out of style. So mutual fund companies are being forced to change and come out with ETF versions of the same mutual funds.”

Another way that mutual fund companies are able to adjust is by offering what they call clean shares – dramatically reducing the cost of buying mutual funds. These represent important changes in the way mutual fund companies compete with the emergence of ETFs.

“In my opinion, In the end, those that are not innovating are losing massive amounts of assets,” Murawski says. “The pandemic alone brought millions of new investors into the market. And I do not feel those investors are not going to buy mutual funds.”

In the end, it comes down to cost and performance – and many actively managed mutual funds are not outperforming their benchmarks enough to justify their cost. Instead, investors are choosing ETFs, which can give them nearly the exact same thing at a lower price.

“When you don’t outperform and you charge more, it’s problematic,” Murawski says. “In my opinion, mutual fund companies are either dying or they’re innovating and moving toward a different structure.”

Matthew Murawski is a financial planner with Goodstein Wealth Management. He provides personalized wealth management advice to the firm’s 401(k) clients as well as his own individual clients. Murawski educates investors to help them work towards being positioned for long-term financial growth.

To learn more about Murawski and Goodstein Wealth Management, visit www.goodsteinwm.com or connect on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Business

13 Reasons Investors Are Watching Phoenix Energy’s Expansion in the Williston Basin

Published

1 week ago

April 23, 2025

Matthew Wiles

As energy security becomes a growing priority in the United States, companies focused on domestic oil production are gaining attention from investors. One such company is Phoenix Energy, an independent oil and gas company operating in the Williston Basin, a prolific oil-producing region spanning North Dakota and Montana.

Phoenix Energy has established itself as a key player in this sector, expanding its footprint while offering structured investment opportunities to accredited investors. Through Regulation D 506(c) corporate bonds, the company provides investment options with annual interest rates ranging from 9% to 13%.

Here are 13 reasons why Phoenix Energy is attracting investor interest in 2025:

1. U.S. energy production remains a strategic priority

The global energy landscape is evolving, with a renewed focus on domestic oil and gas production to enhance economic stability and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources. The Williston Basin, home to the Bakken and Three Forks formations, continues to play a critical role in meeting these demands. Phoenix Energy has established an operational footprint in the basin, where it is actively investing in development and production.

2. Investment opportunities with fixed annual interest rates

Phoenix Energy bonds offer accredited investors annual interest rates between 9% and 13% through Regulation D 506(c). These bonds help fund the company’s expansion in the Williston Basin, where it acquires and develops oil and gas assets.

3. Record-breaking drilling speeds in the Williston Basin

Phoenix Energy has made significant strides in drilling efficiency, ranking among the fastest drillers in the Bakken Formation as of late 2024. By reducing drilling times, the company aims to optimize operations and improve overall production performance.

4. Expansion of operational footprint

Since becoming an operator in September 2023, Phoenix Energy has grown rapidly. As of March 2025, the company has 53 wells drilled and 96 wells planned over the next 12 months.

5. Surpassing production expectations

Phoenix Energy’s oil production has steadily increased. By mid-2024, its cumulative production had exceeded 1.57 million barrels, outpacing its total output for 2023. The company projected an exit rate of nearly 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of March 2025.

6. High-net-worth investor offerings

For investors seeking alternative investments with higher-yield opportunities, Phoenix Energy offers the Adamantium bonds through Reg D 506(c), which provides corporate bonds with annual interest rates between 13% and 16%, with investment terms ranging from 5 to 11 years, and a minimum investment of $2 million.

7. Experienced team with industry-specific expertise

Phoenix Energy’s leadership and technical teams include professionals with decades of oil and gas experience, including backgrounds in drilling engineering, land acquisition, and reservoir analysis. This level of in-house expertise supports the company’s ability to evaluate acreage, manage operations, and execute its long-term development plans in the Williston Basin.

8. Focus on investor communication and understanding

Phoenix Energy prioritizes clear investor communication. The company hosts webinars and provides access to licensed professionals who walk investors through the business model and operations in the oil and gas sector. These efforts aim to help investors better understand how Phoenix Energy deploys capital across mineral acquisitions and operated wells.

9. Managing market risk through strategic planning

The energy sector is cyclical, and Phoenix Energy takes a structured approach to risk management. The company employs hedging strategies and asset-backed financing to help mitigate potential fluctuations in the oil market.

10. Commitment to compliance

Phoenix Energy conducts its bond offerings under the SEC’s Regulation D Rule 506(c) exemption. These offerings are made available exclusively to accredited investors and are facilitated through a registered broker-dealer to support adherence to federal securities laws. Investors can review applicable offering filings on the SEC’s EDGAR database.

11. Recognition for business practices

As of April 2025, Phoenix Energy maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and is a BBB-accredited business. The company has also earned strong ratings on investor review platforms such as Trustpilot and Google Reviews, where investors often highlight clear communication and transparency.

12. A family-founded business with a long-term vision

Led by CEO Adam Ferrari, Phoenix Energy operates as a family-founded business with a focus on long-term investment strategies. The company’s leadership emphasizes responsible growth and sustainable development in the Williston Basin.

13. Positioned for long-term growth in the oil sector

With U.S. energy demand projected to remain strong, Phoenix Energy is strategically positioned for continued expansion. The company’s focus on efficient drilling, financial discipline, and structured investment offerings aligns with its goal of building a resilient and growth-oriented business.

Final thoughts

For investors looking to gain exposure to the U.S. oil and gas sector, Phoenix Energy presents an opportunity to participate in a structured alternative investment backed by the company’s operational expansion in the Williston Basin.

Accredited investors interested in learning more can attend one of Phoenix Energy’s investor webinars, which are hosted daily throughout the week. These sessions provide insights into market trends, risk management strategies, and investment opportunities.

For more information, visit the Phoenix Energy website.

Phoenix Capital Group Holdings, LLC is now Phoenix Energy One, LLC, doing business as Phoenix Energy. The testimonials on review sites may not be representative of other investors not listed on the sites. The testimonials are no guarantee of future performance or success of the Company or a return on investment. Alternative investments are speculative, illiquid, and you may lose some or all of your investment. Securities are offered by Dalmore Group member FINRA/SIPC. Dalmore Group and Phoenix Energy are not affiliated. See full disclosures.

This article contains forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs about future events and market conditions. These statements, identifiable by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “expect,” “plan,” “should,” and similar expressions, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may impact these outcomes include changes in market conditions, regulatory developments, operational performance, and other risks described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and Phoenix Energy undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by law.